PR 72 - Kenneth To (AUS) and Katinka Hosszu (HUN), the best in 2012

Lausanne (SUI), November 11, 2012 – Kenneth To (AUS) and Katinka Hosszu (HUN) were the overall winners of the FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup 2012, which successfully concluded in Singapore (SIN) on November 10-11. Among men, To finished the eight-leg series on top of the classification, with 195 points, while Hosszu was the first in the women’s field with 186 points. Both winners will receive a US$ 100,000 as prize money.

The Australian and Hungarian swimmers were the dominators of the 2012 season, being the best performers in four legs – To in Dubai (UAE), Doha (QAT), Beijing (CHN) and Singapore (SIN); Hosszu in Dubai, Stockholm (SWE), Moscow (RUS) and Tokyo (JPN). Moreover, the Magyar champion earned an impressive total of 39 gold medals throughout the circuit.

Her compatriot Zsuzsanna Jakabos was the second best (129 points, US$ 50,000) among women, while Britta Steffen (GER) closed the top-3 with 97 points (US$ 30,000). In the men’s field, George Bovell (TRI) finished behind (157 points) To, while the third best of the series was Russia’s Stanislav Donets (131 points).

At the last meet in Singapore, To (win in the 100m IM in 51.50, 957 points), Donets (gold in the 100m back in 49.82, 947 points) and Bovell (second behind To in the 100m IM in 51.69, 946 points) were the best male performers, while Jakabos (victory in the 200m IM in 2:06.41, 957 points) Hosszu (second to Jakabos in the 200m IM, 2:06.78, 949 points) and Steffen (the best in the 100m free in 52.38, 923 points) also confirmed their good shape.

Overall, three World Cup records were set in 2012 – among women, Camille Muffat (FRA) in the 400m free (3:54.93 in Berlin), while in the men’s field Daiya Seto (JPN) improved the best mark twice in the 400m IM (4:00.12 in Berlin and 4:00.02 in Tokyo).Finally, Donets and Steffen were the only swimmers in 2012 to have triumphed in the same event throughout the series: in the case of the Russian star in the 50m back (fastest win: 23.14 in Beijing), while the German champion was always the fastest in the 100m free (best time: 52.38 in Singapore).